Funding secured for I-80 interchange improvements in Tannersville area

Tuesday

Jul 12, 2011 at 5:57 PMJul 12, 2011 at 5:59 PM

Funding has finally been secured for a long-planned project to improve two interchanges of Interstate 80 in Tannersville. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., on Tuesday announced that the federal Department of Transportation had awarded a grant of more than $13.5 million to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for the work at the Tannersville and Scotrun interchanges.

Funding has finally been secured for a long-planned project to improve two interchanges of Interstate 80 in Tannersville.

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., on Tuesday announced that the federal Department of Transportation had awarded a grant of more than $13.5 million to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for the work at the Tannersville and Scotrun interchanges.

As part of the project, Route 715 will be widened at the Tannersville exit (299) and Route 611 will be widened at the Scotrun exit. A traffic light will also be installed at the Tannersville ramps.

“In addition to improving public safety, this grant will help to create a significant number of jobs in the region and directly benefit businesses in the Poconos,” Casey said. “This project will play a crucial role in relieving congestion while improving safety on Interstate 80.”

The Pocono Record has spotlighted the Tannersville interchange as particularly troublesome given its layout. Exit and entrance ramps are side-by-side, separated by a concrete median. But motorists can easily confuse one for the other and end up going the wrong way into exiting traffic.